


On the Horizon of Forever

by witchcraft97



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: M/M, Sick Fic, entirely gratuitous fluff and storytelling and I regret nothing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-03
Updated: 2015-09-03
Packaged: 2018-04-18 20:04:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4718768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/witchcraft97/pseuds/witchcraft97
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marik is sick and Bakura tells him a story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	On the Horizon of Forever

Marik shivered, the fever raging through him in hot and cold waves. His throat was raw, his back ached and his eyes were heavy. His head throbbed.

“You’ve got the flu.” Bakura confirmed, appraising the thermometer he was holding.

Marik moaned, hunching forwards over his knees, “Everything hurts.”

“Yes, I know. Stay there I’ll be right back.”

The illness had come on hard and fast and Marik wasn’t dealing with it well. For someone who’d been through so much pain in his life he was exceptionally whiny. It very much tried Bakura’s patience.

Bakura briefly left the bedroom and returned with a bowl of water and a washcloth from the bathroom. Marik barely glanced up as he cleared a space in the small pharmacy that was his bedside table to put the bowl down. Instead the patient coughed, whined again and let his head drop into his hands.

“Lay down.” Bakura said firmly.

“What?” Marik raised his head blearily.

“I said lay down. And if you say one more word I’m leaving and then you’ll have no-one to look after you. Do it.”

Despite his sharp words Bakura’s tone wasn’t unkind and Marik did as he was bid with only a small scowl. He lay back and wriggled down under the covers until he was flat on his back. It was only a moment though before he couldn’t help himself; he pushed the cover down to expose his torso and whined, “Hot.”

“I know.” Bakura murmured, surprising him, and sat calmly on the edge of the bed. He took the edge of the duvet and pulled it back up over Marik’s stomach, leaving his chest and arms exposed. Marik looked at him in disbelief.

“What are you –” He started, but was interrupted by another wheezy cough.

Bakura reached into the bowl he’d brought from the bathroom and wrung out a damp washcloth. He handed it to Marik with the quiet instruction, “Forehead.”

Curious but too unwell to question it, Marik lay the cloth on his own forehead and immediately groaned at the cool relief. Bakura chuckled and with some effort Marik focussed his gaze on him. He was entirely unused to Bakura being this…caring.

“You need to sleep,” Bakura said, “so I’m going to tell you a story.”

Marik mustered the energy to scoff, “Sure, and then we can have a tea party and play with teddy bears.”

Bakura’s eyes flashed with irritation, which was so much more familiar to Marik that he laughed weakly.

“Ok, ok. I’m listening.”

Bakura rolled his eyes but settled himself into a more comfortable position all the same. Absently he rested a hand against Marik’s leg through the blanket and Marik unconsciously shifted into the touch. When he was sure Marik had no more protests, Bakura opened his mouth to begin his tale.

~  
At the beginning of everything on the horizon of forever, there was the sun. He burned fiercely, casting warmth and light on all that was and all that was yet to be. He was radiant and if you looked upon him you couldn’t help but be cheered by the sight.

At the sun’s back there was the moon. He drifted across the sky in the sun’s shadow, cloaking all in the dark of night. He watched the sun from afar, yearning for his brightness but knowing he would never be touched by it.

The moon knew that the sun was lonely and the moon was sad. Although the sun blazed every day he had no one to shine with. With his light alone he tried to fill the void, but there was no one to shine back to him.

And so it was day after day, the sun keeping his lonely vigil, the moon following quietly behind. Revolving but never intersecting. If only the sun knew all he had to do was turn around and there a companion would be.

The moon dreamed of calling out to the sun. “You’re not alone!” he’d say. But the moon kept to his shadows, as all he could give the sun was darkness.

Finally it was too much and the sun felt he could shine no more. In the dark expanse and the passage of time he’d forgotten what he was shining for. Exhausted and alone he was ready to let his light go out.

The moon saw and the moon feared and he found he could stay silent no longer. Even if he could not shine he would not let the sun go out. “Wait!” he called across the distance between them, “I care.”

The sun turned to find the moon where he had always been, there behind him. And like a beacon in the dark the moon lit up in the sun’s attention. He reflected his brightness, a glow all of his very own, and both sun and moon smiled.

And finally they knew that neither was alone, for they had each other. The sun shining bright and the moon glowing back. And to this day they dance across the sky, together, on the horizon of forever.  
~

Marik was fast asleep. Bakura shook his head, smirking, and took the damp cloth from Marik’s forehead. It might just be his imagination but Marik’s fevered skin felt cooler already.

Carefully he got up from the edge of the bed and straightened the covers. He’d come back to check on him later but for now he was satisfied Marik was getting some sleep. On impulse Bakura reached out and stroked back Marik’s hair. 

“Sleep well.” Bakura murmured.

He retreated from the room, turning the light off as he went. Behind him a shaft of moonlight nudged through the gap in the curtains and fell across the bed. In his sleep, Marik smiled.


End file.
